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Disciple Magazine, Vol. 2, # 14, 7/26/2010—Printer-Friendly Version

Table of Contents:Pastors—Finding the Balance- - - - - - - - - 1Ten Tips for Adult Sunday School Teachers - - - 3The Sanctifying Word- - - - - - - - - - - - 4Exegetically Speaking- - - - - - - - - - - - 4Living out the Living Word- - - - - - - - - - 6Points to Ponder- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8The Story behind the Song- - - - - - - - - - 9

Church Builders - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10Counselor’s Corner- - - - - - - - - - - - 11Book Reviews- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12News Update- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -12Sermon Helps - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14Puzzles and ‘Toons- - - - - - - - - - - - -15

__________________________________________________________________________________________Pastors—Finding the BalanceBy Joe McKeever

The toughest assignment I’ve received in a while came not from an editor or a denominational exec but from a pastor’s wife. She wrote me an e-mail referencing one of my recent blog posts about the heart of a pastor.

She wrote, “My husband is a young pastor with a shepherd’s heart. But it would seem the churches we’ve ministered in do not appreciate that. In our experience, the churches have been rebellious, stubborn, and prideful and have refused to deal with sin. The pastors have not been supported (due to congregational models of church governance) by the denomination.”

She continued, “We switched denominations to an elder-type model and have found the same problems. I know that there are ‘good’ churches out there; but in our short 10 years of ministry/married life together, we have only served in one and even that one had struggles. The sheep do not want to be shepherded.”

She asked, “What does one do when dealing with ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing?’ What about when they are in leadership (elders of the church)? How does one blend the authority with the gentle heart of a shepherd? I would really love to hear wise perspective on these issues.”

I promised her that I would lay this before the Lord, which I have done. After responding to her last question—on finding the balance between strong firm leadership and gracious shepherding—I’d like to lay this out for all those in ministry.

The first question that loomed large in my mind was “Who in Scripture is our role model for this?” You will not be surprised at the answer. It’s Jesus. No one ever blended the two streams of strong, positive, forceful leadership with gentle, loving, gracious servanthood the way our Savior did.

Jesus Was a Strong LeaderHe was clear in His vision, solid in His purpose,

steady dealing with His enemies, and never wavering in His pronouncements regarding the message of God. To the sycophant Nicodemus who slipped in at night and commenced bragging on His teaching, Jesus was quick to say, “You must be born again” (John 3).

In His preaching, He gave no ground to centuries-old traditions or the hide-bound religious big-shots of His day. “You have heard it said...but I say to you...” (numerous verses in Matt. 5). He told the crowds that unless their righteousness went beyond that of the religious leaders, they were in big trouble (Matt. 5:20). There were no uncertainties in His preaching. I would not be surprised if the Apostle Paul had Jesus in mind when he said, “If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?” (1 Cor. 14:8). No one wondered where Jesus stood on issues.

Just before the U.S. led coalition invaded the Middle East to oust Saddam Hussein from Kuwait in what was called “Operation Desert Storm,” British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said to President George Bush, “Now, George, don’t go wobbly on us.” Be strong in the Lord; be courageous; stand up; speak out (see Jesus’ instructions along these lines to the disciples in Matt. 10:16ff.). And yet, even while He was strong and forceful....

Jesus Was Kind and GraciousWe’re to be that way, too. “Take my yoke upon

you,” He said. “For I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:29-30).

He was gentle with the hurting. “Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more,” He said to the woman caught in adultery who had been thrown before the public in open shame (John 8:11). He was precious with the children. “Little lamb, I say to you arise,” He spoke to the now-dead daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:41—Note: several commentators interpret our Lord’s Aramaic term of endearment not as “little girl” but as “little lamb”).

From the cross, He did not retaliate (1 Peter 2:22). He forgave His executioners and interceded for His tormentors. He spoke love to His mother and extended eternal life to the dying thief. He washed the feet of the disciples (John 13).


Both His Firmness and His Gentleness Are Aspects of the Same Loving Heart

If I love you and see you destroying yourself unknowingly, I will intervene. If necessary, I will be harsh with you. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend,” says Proverbs 27:6. In lifesaving training, swimmers are taught that if necessary, they are to administer a knock-out blow to the person they are trying to save but who keeps fighting them off. It’s the loving thing to do.

Jesus’ harsh sermon to the Pharisees in Matthew 23—His strongest on record—was delivered out of a heart of love. These self-righteous nabobs needed to hear in the strongest terms possible what they were doing, what God thought of what they were doing, and the everlasting peril with which they were endangering themselves. There is nothing unloving about telling a dying man he’s dying if he needs to know it. There is nothing unkind about a surgeon cutting into any of us to remove a cancer. It’s painful, but the alternative is worse.

This Paradox Is God’s Standard for Those He Calls to Lead His Flock

On the one hand, He requires a gentle heart; on the other, strong, settled leadership. Those who are mature in Christ are characterized by nine qualities Scripture calls “fruit of the Spirit:” love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). But do not make the mistake of calling this timidity. “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).

Humble yourself, servant of God. You have been sent to feed the hungry, bind up the wounds of the hurting, comfort the grieving, and minister to the imprisoned. Other people will make demands on you. You are a servant; get used to it. Stand strong, servant of God. You have been sent to proclaim the riches of God’s grace and the full counsel of Christ’s Gospel to people dying in sin.

One huge caution: You will not be able to pull this off in the flesh. Humanly speaking—if you are on your own and doing the best you can—you will veer from one extreme to the other. You will end up wimping out when you should have been courageous and stood tall, or being tough and forceful at the very time you needed to humble yourself and be gentle. You will go in the strength of the Lord—we’re talking about putting self on the cross every day of your life and asking God to fill you with His Spirit—or you will make a royal mess of your ministry. Many who have left the pastorate could bear testimony to that.

Pastor, you do not have what it takes to be a successful minister. Pastor’s help-mate, you do not have what will be required to be his spouse. Get used to that fact. The work is far bigger than you are. Paul said, “Not that we are adequate for these things, but our adequacy is of God” (2 Cor. 3:5). Get it right, however, and go in the strength of

the Lord, and you will say with the Apostle Paul: I am not ashamed of the Gospel (Rom. 1:16); I am not ashamed of Jesus (2 Tim. 1:12); I am not ashamed of the life I am living for Christ (Phil. 1:20).

God Said It Would Be This WayIn the final epistle we have from the Apostle Paul,

the Holy Spirit speaking through him told us how things would be in the last days. What He ended up giving us here is a perfect depiction of so many of our churches (not all, thankfully!) and so many of the people who are calling the shots for the congregations.

Read it and weep: “But know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Tim. 3:1-5).

If you miss everything else, do not miss this: He is talking about the people in the Church! The world’s crowd has always been this way. But in the final days, the people in the pews will be afflicted by the dreaded carnal diseases of selfishness, pleasure-seeking, a sense of entitlement, and a disdain for spiritual things. And this is the work to which pastors have been called.

If I may speak plainly:1) Quit being surprised when members of your

church act this way. God told us ahead of time what we could expect. Jesus said the servant is no better than the master; if they treated Him this way, we could expect the same (Matthew 10:24-26).

2) Start expecting the ugliness and begin to prepare your heart to respond to it rightly. Rejoice when you find members who truly love the Lord and will honor you in doing His work, but stop expecting everyone to act like mature saints. You will experience unending disappointment if you do.

3) To some extent, it has been so from the beginning. Even in the first century, Paul told the elders of the Ephesian church, “I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:29-30)

4) We will leave it to the Lord to sort out the wheat from the tares (Matt. 13:24-30). That is neither our privilege nor our burden (I, for one, am quite thankful for that!).

5) Our job will be to love them, minister to all who will let us, and speak the Word of Truth to them. We will do this not because we are good and they are worthy, but we have been called and they are our assignment.


6) It is the Lord Jesus we serve, ultimately. What I do for the church, He takes personally. No revelation from God’s word has more drastically affected my ministry in recent decades than learning this. “We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5).

7) Eyes on the Lord, eyes on the Lord. Give thanks to Him for the privilege of doing even the least little chore in His Kingdom. And every time you find a faithful pastor and wife, encourage them. They are not your competition but your brother and sister. Some are laboring under

horrendous burdens and need your kind words, an invitation for a cup of coffee in your kitchen, or a hug.

“Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Joe McKeever is a retired Southern Baptist pastor from New Orleans, Louisiana. He blogs regularly at

www.joemckeever.com.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Ten Tips to Help You Settle in as an Adult Sunday School TeacherBy Howard Glass

Editor’s note: These tips were originally prepared for delivery at a regional seminar for Salvation Army Sunday school teachers and prospective teachers.

1) Assume that your students know nothing about the Bible. In too many cases that will be true. It can be awkward to re-tell the familiar Bible stories to some, but there are probably people who will be hearing them for the first time. I have been shocked, for example, to discover how few of my students knew who Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were.

2) You do not have to know everything, just because you are the leader. Think of yourself as the primary student. The best part of being a SS teacher is that you always learn more as you prepare to teach. In fact, allowing yourself to be seen as a fellow student makes you a more effective teacher. It also allows those who have learned some particular portion of the Bible well, to shine. For example, a person may have gone to VBS as a child, and learned all about the Tabernacle of the Israelites, but not much more. Let them share. Strive for a “round table atmosphere,” even if your classroom is not set up that way.

If you are asked a question you don’t know the answer to or are not sure about, admit it. Teachers who try to invent explanations come across as untrustworthy. “I don’t know,” is an honest and respectable answer. Don’t be afraid to give it. Of course, tell the student that you will do what you can to find the answer before the next class, and then follow up. If you find yourself being corrected about some fact in the Scriptures, don’t be shamed or defensive. Thank the person who corrected you. Be humble. Be real.

3) Be careful with unscriptural teaching/ideas. Popular notions, and even some time-honored clichés, often show up in Sunday school. If a Bible-based concept seems cloudy, we can find other Scripture to support it. Something thought up by people has no such support. One example that comes to mind is “unconditional love.” That term is not found in any Bible translation I have seen. Though it may embody a legitimate idea, there is no scriptural context to

define it. I have met those who think it means unconditional (without repentance) salvation.

4) Limit digression from the topic. So often, SS discussion strays into politics, history, or culture. It is tempting to let it go on, especially when the class takes on a life of its own. Sometimes the students display an interest and liveliness you wish they had for your lesson. Let this go on if it has some benefit for the lesson. My experience tells me that it rarely does. Gently remind them, “This is a Bible class,” and move on with the lesson.

5) Be as confident as you are able, without being arrogant. Most people feel better about following a person who is confident. To keep your confidence, don’t try to teach on a deeper level than you feel comfortable with. It is easy to fall when you reach too far. The devil would love to have us either pretending to be more holy and knowledgeable than we actually are, or constantly apologizing for our shortcomings. But, God can only use us the way we are. Pray that God will peel away any pretense you may have.

6) Be bold in your love for the Lord. You are a Sunday school teacher. People expect you to be a true believer. The people in the class wouldn’t be there if they didn’t want to learn about God.

7) Have the background/context necessary to make the session relevant. Do not assume a prepared lesson has done that sufficiently—those writers work within limitations. If you don’t understand what is going on in the lesson, how will your students? Read whatever you need to get up to speed. If you still feel uncomfortable with what the publisher provided, perhaps there is another angle God wants you to use. In America we have abundant resources to draw from. Make the most of them.

8) Remember whose class it is. Your goal is to help those who want to know more about God. The class does not belong to you, nor does it belong to the people who wrote your study book. If you happen upon something that your students are curious about, and you are able to


learn and teach about it from the Bible, don’t be afraid to do so.

9) Remember who the real teacher is. You may feel inadequate to teach—many who are recruited for the job do. In most cases you are the best person available. God knows what you have to work with. He can make even clumsy teaching effective. Do the best you know how, the best you are able, and leave the results up to God.

10) Love your students. By that I mean respect them, even if they are totally lost. Give them the time it takes to prepare your lesson well, even though this will be

your own precious, personal time that they may never know you gave them. Pray for them, and let your motive for teaching be that they will benefit.

Originally Published in Pulpit Helps Magazine, September 2005

Howard Glass is a freelance writer who serves as a small-group leader at the East Main Street Presbyterian Church in Grove City, Penn.

__________________________________________________________________________________________The Sanctifying WordBy Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“Sanctify them in truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

Sanctification begins in regeneration. The Spirit of God infuses into man that new living principle by which he becomes “a new creature” in Christ Jesus. This work, which begins in the new birth, is carried on in two ways—mortification, whereby the lusts of the flesh are subdued and kept under; and vivification, by which the life which God has put within us is made to be a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.

This is carried on every day in what is called “perseverance,” by which the Christian is preserved and continued in a gracious state, and is made to abound in good works unto the praise and glory of God; and it culminates or comes to perfection, in “glory,” when the soul is caught up to dwell with holy beings at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

But while the Spirit of God is thus the author of sanctification, yet there is a visible agency employed which must not be forgotten. “Sanctify them,” said Jesus, “in truth; Your word is truth.” The passages of Scripture which prove

that the instrument of our sanctification is the Word of God are very many. The Spirit of God brings to our minds the precepts and doctrines of truth, and applies them with power. These are heard in the ear, and being received in the heart, they work in us to will and to do of God’s good pleasure.

The truth is the sanctifier, and if we do not hear or read the truth, we shall not grow in sanctification. We only progress in sound living as we progress in sound understanding. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Do not say of any error, “It is a mere matter of opinion.” No man indulges an error of judgment, without sooner or later tolerating an error in practice. Hold fast the truth, for by so holding the truth shall you be sanctified by the Spirit of God.

From Morning and Evening

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), “the Prince of Preachers,” was a renowned pastor and author who served

as pastor of London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle for 38 years. His works are still widely read today.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Exegetically Speaking—by Spiros Zodhiates

The Spirit and Power of Elijah Matthew 17:6-13

From Exegetical Commentary on Matthew, 2006, AMG Publishers.

The disciples had just witnessed the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ, and were awed by the glimpse of His glory shown to them, the presence of Moses and Elijah, and the voice of God the Father from heaven. Upon being comforted by Jesus, however, they ask Him to interpret the preceding event and the prophecies concerning Elijah.

[6] The bright cloud and the voice frightened the three disciples: “And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid (ephobēthēsan, the

aorist passive tense of phobéō [5399], to fear).” The passive tense reflects the cause of their fear; they were made fearful or frightened by the bright cloud that appeared instantaneously and the booming sound of the Father’s voice that interrupted Peter’s speech. Fear is not an action we initiate, like taking a walk. Nor is it something we choose, as if any of us would want it. God imposes fear on both unbelievers (Ex. 23:27; Isa. 2:19; Rev. 6:16) and believers (Ps. 85:9; Jer. 32:40; Acts 5:5, 11).

[7] We dare not approach the Father without the holy righteousness of the Son. But through the Son’s merit and propitiation, God’s throne of wrath (Rev. 6:16)


becomes His throne of grace that we can approach boldly (Heb. 4:16). Accordingly, it was not the Father but Jesus, the human mediator (1 Tim. 2:5) who “touched (hēpsato, the aorist middle of háptomai [680] them, and said, ‘Arise, and be not afraid’ (phobeísthe, the present passive imperative of phobéomai, to be frightened).” The present tense means “continue not to be afraid.”

Jesus did not expect them to turn their fears off permanently, as if this were something in their control apart from His gentle touch and calming words. Had He not touched them and said, “Do not be afraid,” they would have had no rational basis for knowing they were not endangered by the bright cloud and the Father’s immediate, holy presence. By contrast, the wicked, over the course of their lives, build up a “fearful (phoberá [5398]) expectation (ekdochē [1561])” of God’s wrath (Heb. 10:27). But when the Lord tells us, “Do not be afraid,” we can trust Him. The imperative presupposes the propositional truth, “There is no reason to be afraid.” His “touch” confirms His words.

[8] Jesus then rather suddenly terminated the vision: “And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw absolutely no one” (a.t.). According to Mark’s record of this event, when the disciples looked around, Moses and Elijah, the shining garments, and the bright cloud had all “suddenly” (exápina [1819], unexpectedly) vanished (Mark 9:8).

[9] As they descended, Jesus gave them a command: “And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged (eneteílato, the aorist middle of entéllomai [1781], to command) them, saying, ‘Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.’” The vision of Elijah and Moses was bound to stir up incredulity even among the nine disciples who did not see it. So Jesus told the three to keep the transfiguration event to themselves until after His resurrection, the arch confirmation of all that was given in the Law and the Prophets.

[10, 11] The transfiguration prompted the disciples to ask, “Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?” Why the “then”? Jesus had just said, “Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen.” The “then” implies that the disciples thought Jesus was inverting the sequence of Elijah’s appearance and the resurrection as given by the prophet Malachi (Mal. 4:5, 6). At this stage of revelation, they, like the Pharisees, probably assumed that any particular resurrection—in this case, the Son of man’s—would occur at the general resurrection on the Day of the Lord, the end of the age. If so, telling no one about the vision until the resurrection would make little sense, since Malachi prophesied that Elijah would appear before the Day of the Lord (the resurrection) with the purpose of changing the hearts of parents and children prior to judgment. If the transfiguration had anything to do with Malachi’s sequencing of events, it did not make sense to conceal it.

When we say “this stage of revelation,” we mean that the disciples had not yet heard the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24), let alone Paul’s advanced, prophetic schema in 1 Corinthians 15 and John’s book of Revelation. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elijah truly comes (érchetai, the present—not future—tense of érchomai [2064], to come) first and shall restore (apokatastēse, the future tense of apokathístēmi [600]) all things” (a.t.).

Before we undertake the adversative phrase in the next verse, we should understand that we cannot logically deduce from these words that Malachi’s prophecy is only ahead of us. Jesus quoted Malachi’s prophecy that was future to Malachi at the time he gave it. Jesus neither issued a new prophecy of the future nor confirmed the futurity of the old one; in fact, to the contrary, He was not even quoting the event but the principle of the prophecy. This was proven by the use of the present tense érchetai, that is, “Elijah comes” (a principle) not “Elijah will come” (an event).

[12] The second, third, and fourth evidences of past fulfillment are the following three words: “But…Elias came (ēlthen, the aorist tense of érchomai, to come; answering to érchetai in the prior verse) already” (a.t.). These words cannot refer to Elijah’s pre-ascension life or to his appearance at the transfiguration. The first understanding is ruled out by the fact that Malachi’s prophecy (400 B.C.?) was hundreds of years after Elijah’s ascension (868 B.C.?). The second possibility is eliminated by the subsequent phrase, “and (i.e., when he came) they knew him not, but did to him whatever they wanted” (a.t.), which has no meaning at the event of the transfiguration. Unbelieving Jews did nothing to Elijah at the transfiguration; they weren’t even there.

Still, there is little doubt that the transfiguration was a prophetic vision of the Second Coming of Christ in glory to judge the living and the dead and to set up a kingdom that has no end. The transfiguration prefigured His personal presence (parousía [3952], appearance) in this kingdom.

Until we read the next verse, there is some mystery in these words concerning Elijah: “And they knew (epégnōsan, the aorist tense of epiginōskō [1921] from epí, upon; and ginōskō [1097], to experientially know) him not, but did to him whatever they wanted. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them” (a.t.). From the last sentence, we can deduce that the Jews punished Elijah “likewise” as they punished Christ. But this finds no fulfillment in the Old Testament. The Jews knew Elijah, and Jezebel persecuted him—nor was it fulfilled in the New Testament (hardly at the transfiguration). So Jesus must have had someone else in mind when He plainly said, “Elijah came.”

[13] Now we read, “Then the disciples understood (sunēkan, the aorist tense of suníēmi [4920], to put elements together to make sense) that He spake unto them of John the Baptist.”


Matthew does not say the disciples “mistakenly concluded.” If John was not “Elijah,” the conclusion is inexplicable since Jesus mentioned only Elijah by name—not John. More broadly, nothing verbatim in the prior conversation explained why the disciples would conclude “John” when Jesus had said only “Elijah.” This, then, was a theological conclusion on their part. John fit the theological and historical criteria.

Historically, John “came already”—this much is obvious. Second, of historical note, both the Jews and the Gentiles “did to” John what “they wanted” to do. For the most part, the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees rejected John’s prophecy of the coming Messiah. And the Gentile king Herod, at Herodias’ request, imprisoned and killed him. According to Luke, John fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy: “And he [John] shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).

Apparently, the “spirit and power” of Elijah rested on John as it did on Elisha (2 Kgs. 2:9–12). This was more than just the Spirit of God; the Spirit of God re-created the spirit of Elijah—the pattern of Elijah’s ministry. This template clothed John like a garment, fitting him like a glove. Consequently, he turned the hearts of fathers to their children, just as Malachi said Elijah would do (Mal. 4:6). John, then, bore the title and template—not the historic person—of “Elijah,” whose name means “My God [is] Yah(weh).” And Jesus confirmed as much to the multitudes in Matthew 11:10–14.

Because prophecy is a set of templates impressed on human history, subject to multiple fulfillments, none of this precludes a return of Elijah to earth to preach before the return of Christ (see Rev. 11:3–12). It is not unreasonable to assume that Elijah’s bodily ascension and preservation in

heaven was for this purpose. Also, at least one, if not both, of the “two witnesses” in the tribulation period repeat the miracles of Elijah (Rev. 11:5, 6).

As “the spirit of Elijah” in John the Baptist announced Christ’s coming to establish His spiritual kingdom, so “the body of Elijah” will return to proclaim the inauguration of the physical kingdom at the Second Coming. Peter recounted the transfiguration in his second epistle at a time when skeptics questioned the physical reality of miracles. In 2 Peter 1:16–18, he compares “wisdom-infused (sesophisménois, the perfect passive participle of sophízō [4679], to make wise) myths” with the “majesty (megaleiótētos [3168]) of that One (ekeínou, i.e., of Jesus Christ)” of which he, James, and John were “eyewitnesses” (epóptai [2030], observer, inspector; the masculine plural noun of epopteúō [2029], to inspect). He characterizes this event as the “power (dúnamin [1411]) and presence (parousían)” of the Lord Jesus (a.t.).

The transfiguration, then, was intended as a prophetic glimpse into the future power, presence, and glory of Jesus Christ, and it was accompanied by “A voice borne (enechtheísēs, the aorist passive participle of phérō [5342], to carry, bear) to Him, such by (hupó [5259], by means of) the Majestic (megaloprepoús, the genitive singular of megaloprepēs [3169], to be suitable, fit, right for the occasion) Glory (i.e., the Father(” (2 Pet. 1:17; a.t.). The Father is called ho megaloprepēs toú stereōmatos, “the Majestic steadfast (hard or persevering) One” in the Septuagint’s translation of Deut. 33:26.

Dr. Spiros Zodhiates (1922-2009) served as president of AMG International in Chattanooga, Tennessee for over 40 years, was the founding editor of Pulpit Helps Magazine,

and authored dozens of exegetical books.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Living out the Living Word—by Justin Lonas

Ready to Give an Answer1 Peter 3:13-17

Part eight in an expositional series on 1 Peter.

Throughout Peter’s first epistle, the threat of persecution for his original readers in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire runs as an undercurrent, giving additional significance to each of his exhortations. He says in 1:6 that they “have been distressed by various trials,” references “the thing in which they slander you” in 2:12, and encourages them to “patiently endure” it when they “do what is right and suffer for it” for “this finds favor with God” in 2:20. Beginning in the second part of chapter 3 and continuing through chapter 4, this theme of suffering for the

sake of righteousness leaps from the background to take center stage in Peter’s words.

After a stirring exhortation to husbands and wives to live in fearless submission to God and each other for the sake of holiness and witness before a watching world in 3:1-7, Peter enjoins all believers to live in love toward one another, returning blessings when we are given evil (3:9). He emphasizes his words with those of David from Psalm 34:12-16, reminding us that the Lord turns His “eyes…toward the righteous” and “His ears attend to their prayer”—He watches over those who walk in His ways.

In that context, he rouses his readers to continue in their pursuit of holy living despite their circumstances.


“Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed” (3:13-14a). The obvious answer to Peter’s rhetorical question, based on the Scripture he has just quoted, is “Absolutely no one!” He echoes the message of Romans 8:31: “If God is for us, who is against us?” Even so, his readers faced (as multitudes have and still do face) fierce persecution.

This might be a paradox to us without interpreting these words in light of the full message of Scripture. From the Word, we know that we are not to fear “those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). We know that we serve the Lord of heaven and earth who “does not dwell in temples made with hands” (Acts 17:24), and (from earlier in this same letter) that we “are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God” (1 Pet. 2:5). From these passages, we can see that Peter is reminding his readers that ultimate reality is spiritual in nature—that it is a blessing to suffer for God’s name in this life and that no one can cause ultimate harm, even if one is tortured or killed for Christ’s sake.

Immediately from this, we see the Spirit-directed response to persecution. “And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled” (3:14b). How many times throughout Scripture are we commanded not to fear? Most sources I could find referenced well over 300 times we are told “do not fear,” “fear not,” “have no fear,” or some other construction of the same idea. Clearly God is communicating that fear of anyone or anything other than Him is not becoming to His followers.

Peter goes further than commanding us not to fear, enjoining us to turn from fear to confidence and continuing in the work of Christ with boldness. “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (3:15). This passage, for generations the rallying cry to evangelism and apologetics, sits squarely in the midst of Peter’s discourse on how Christians ought to live in the face of persecution. Peter makes it plain that the opposite of fear is obedience to the calling with which we were called.

This key command of the passage begins with the absolutely necessary step of sanctifying Christ as Lord in our hearts. This is not about anything we do for Christ (as if we could add to His holiness) but rather a further statement of what He has done and continues to do for us. Because He is the Lord, we need to place our fear correctly (as Matt. 10:28)—we need to reverence Christ above the fear of man and submit to His authority above all others. When we have re-aligned our priorities, setting our hearts to listen to Him alone, then we can obey actively, proclaiming His truth.

Peter describes our witness as “a defense” (the KJV renders this as “answer”), which is translated from the

Greek apologia, the root of our words “apology” and “apologetics”. This has the connotation of a legal plea or courtroom defense—not something one offers up unprompted, but certainly something of importance to be delivered with passion. Our “defense” is somewhat passive in that we are to be at the ready with it to respond to “everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you,” but when the question is asked, we should hold forth as though life itself depended upon it, because it does. This is not meant to be taken as a reason to avoid active (unprompted) evangelism—many other scriptures bear that out (Matt. 28:19, Rom. 10:14-15, etc.)—but rather an encouragement to always be prepared, “in season and out of season” (1 Tim. 4:2), to preach the Gospel when God places people in our path that need to hear it.

The defense we are to give is on account of “the hope that is in you.” In context, this hope is the same “living hope” to which we are born again (1 Pet. 1:3) and which is borne out in our lives as we live out our salvation. Such eternal hope shines brightest when we have the least reason to hope in anything of this life. In the face of persecution, Peter knew that his readers would be held fast by God’s grace and that the submission and strength they showed under duress would confuse and intrigue their persecutors. It is then, when we have every reason to despair but hope in Christ nevertheless, that our defense is made for His glory. Peter further exhorts his readers to deliver this defense “with gentleness and reverence”—the goal is not vindication in the world’s eyes but obedience to the end that God may be praised, even by those who persecute us. Our defense is really not about us at all, but about God who redeemed us by the blood of His Son. This is the reason for our hope.

In addition to being ready to answer for our hope, Peter gives us another area of active obedience as a believer’s response to feelings of fear. “And keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong” (3:16-17). In essence, he says that we ought to proclaim the Gospel and we ought to back it up by living as though it were true. We ought to live in such a way that those who would persecute us for the sake of Christ will be put to shame by our Christ-like character.

In restating the theme of 2:19-20, he reminds us again that suffering for wrongdoing is the natural order but that suffering for righteousness finds favor with God and turns heads on earth. Paul wrote that “The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those of us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18) and that the message of “Christ crucified” was “to the Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:23). That message embodied in one who shares in the sufferings of Christ, patiently enduring unjust punishment,


is so counterintuitive to the world’s way that it cannot be ignored. Just as the cross itself, such obedience is a stumbling block to some and foolishness to others, but all who witness it are moved. It has been written that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church—the power of God manifested in their obedience to the same Word they faithfully proclaim is a powerful message indeed. In

suffering for the sake of righteousness, believers are truly blessed and God is truly glorified.

As we will see in the coming chapters, the road of suffering is not for a select few, but is the calling of all believers. May we be ready with an answer for our hope when our time comes.

Justin Lonas is editor of Disciple Magazine__________________________________________________________________________________________Points to Ponder—by David L. Olford

Experiencing God Fully: A Passionate Prayer

Text: “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father...that He would grant you…that you may be filled with all the fullness of God…Now to Him…be glory…forever and ever. Amen” (Excerpts from Eph. 3:14-21).

Thought: Among God’s desires for us as His people is that we experience God Himself fully in our lives. And this points us to the passage of Scripture before us. This desire of God is seen and sensed in the Apostle Paul’s prayer for the believers in Ephesus, and it is God’s desire for us today. The prayer is all about experiencing God in His fullness in our lives.

The Primary Reason for This Prayer (14-15)It might surprise you to know that this is the only

time that Paul speaks of bowing his own knees in prayer. What was the real reason for this passionate payer? The Apostle is concerned for the spiritual growth of the Ephesians. They need to experience the truths of the Lord that Paul had taught and experienced Himself. In addition, this prayer is a bridge between the great truths of the first half of the letter, and the application of those truths in the second half of the letter. Paul is going to call these Ephesians to a “worthy walk,” and to a “strong stand,” that are radically different from the world around them. Before he sets forth this Christian “walk” or “stand,” he prays. To appreciate this prayer, we need to understand also:

The Limitless Resources for This Prayer (16a)Paul is going to pray for some amazing things to

happen. In short, he wanted the Ephesians to experience God more fully. Will God do this? Can God do this? Paul’s next phrase answers those questions? Paul is asking God to give or grant to us something “according to the riches of His glory.” You cannot give something that you do not have. God has the resources to answer the Apostle’s prayer. So let’s consider the awesome requests in this prayer.

1) Experience the Spirit’s Power“To be strengthened with might through His Spirit

in the inner man” (16b). In another place Paul speaks of the

outer man as wasting away or perishing, but the inner “person” being renewed day by day (2 Cor. 4:16). I believe that God can and does strengthen people physically, but Paul is talking about something deeper here. He is talking about the real you inside that body. Paul is talking about a strength within us that the Spirit of God enables.

If you have truly trusted in Christ for your forgiveness and accepted Him unreservedly into your life as Savior and Lord, then the Holy Spirit of God brought that about and you have been born again. The Spirit of God has entered your life. Paul is praying that this same Spirit would empower these believers. The blessing is that Paul is asking God the Father to give what He desires to give.

But, Paul’s request concerning the power of the Spirit of God is connected to some wonderful words that follow: “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (17).

2) Experience Christ’s Presence Paul is speaking to believers here, and there is a

special emphasis here. People smarter than I have pointed out that the idea here is one of continuous dwelling. It is one thing for someone to enter your house, it is another for them to be at home, to live, to dwell, to stay. Paul is not talking about salvation from sin here, he is talking about close fellowship with Christ. It is the Spirit’s job in a sense to make that possible, but the result is for fellowship with Christ at the deepest level.

God’s desire has always been to have fellowship with His people, to live in their midst, to indwell them. Now Christ Himself is not wanting just to come in, but to have fellowship with us. This relationship established in love is just the beginning of understanding of the love of Christ.

3) Experience Measureless LovePaul goes on, “…to know the love of Christ which

passes knowledge” (19a). Paul is expressing his passion for these believers that their understanding and experience of the love of Christ would grow in every way, and especially


be enriched by the knowledge of Christ’s love that other believers have.

What a wonderful thing it is when we share the love of Christ with other believers! It is wonderful to comprehend with “all saints” the measure of Christ’s love which is in fact immeasurable! This “grasping” with all saints reminds us that we are not to be exclusive in our fellowship. The Gentiles in Ephesus were to appreciate that they were a part of the Church that is claimed by God the Father, Redeemed by God the Son, and Sealed and Strengthened by God the Holy Spirit.

These requests of Paul move from one to the other. They are not identical, but they are interconnected. And he reaches the end by praying some audacious words:

4) Experience God’s Fullness“…That you may be filled with all the fullness of

God” (19b). When God lovingly dominates a life, it is filled with Him and becomes more and more like Him. You see, God wants to fill your life with Himself. This is His purpose. It is His provision, also, so that the Christian life can be lived in a “worthy” manner. Now here is the question: Is this what we really want? Do we want to be filled by God, with God, and for God? I hope your answer is “yes.”

The Worshipful Response to This Prayer (20-21)Paul jumps immediately into one of the most

beautiful statements of praise and doxology that you’ll ever read. Paul is on fire! At the heart of these words of praise are two underlining realities in Paul’s own life. 1) Confidence in God and His power. God can do what Paul has just prayed for. The key phrase is “Him who is able.”

Yes, “according to the power that works in us,” God can do so much more than we think or imagine. We need to be confident that God is able to work powerfully in our lives. Paul’s movement into praise reminds us that we must trust God to do this work in our lives.

2) Commitment to God and His glory. This was Paul’s heart, and it is the passion of those who are really filled with the fullness of God. We need to remember that God will only work in and through us for His own glory. It has to be for His glory. And this glory does not just come through our individual lives, but through the whole Church, in Christ Jesus.

I don’t claim to understand it all, but I know that this prayer is a key to Christian living.

It is a real relationship with the Lord that strengthens, and grows and fills our lives. When everything is open and given to the Lord, when we want His glory more than anything else, He will do what only He can do to fill our lives with His love and Himself. It is a miracle as real and amazing as crossing the Red Sea, His fullness in our lives!

Thrust: If you pray this prayer like Paul (not just once, but as a daily attitude of faith), God may just answer this prayer beyond your wildest imagination. Where do you start? Answer the question, “Do I really want this?” Yes, or No. If you are saying “YES” for the glory of God I want this, then the challenge is to make Paul’s prayer yours. It is an expression of your desire to experience God more fully.

David L. Olford teaches expository preaching at Union University’s Stephen Olford Center in Memphis,

Tennessee.__________________________________________________________________________________________The Story behind the Song—by Lindsay Terry

Rich and the Indian ChildrenSong: “Awesome God”

“Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him” (Ps. 33:8).

Michael W. Smith had this to say about his friend Rich Mullins: “Rich’s life and music have impacted me more than anyone I know….Nobody on this planet wrote songs like he did, and I feel we’ve lost one of the only true poets in our industry. I love Rich Mullins. No one will ever know how much I’ll miss him.”

Would you like to have known the spirit and humility of Rich Mullins? It was manifested one evening in 1995 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. A great crowd had gathered for the opening of the Gospel Music Association’s annual convention. Excitement mounted as the attendees awaited many of the recognizable names in contemporary music. The performers were

dressed in their best, and this was to be an evening of worship.

Each person on the program presented his or her musical offering accompanied by beautiful lighting and unusual special effects. After several performances, a man walked onto the stage and took his place at the piano. A choir was behind him. As the lights were going up, Rich Mullins began to play, some thought somewhat prematurely. He was dressed in scruffy jeans and a flannel shirt and was unshaven. He scarcely looked up from the piano. He was presenting his signature song, “Awesome God”. The music ceased, the lights went down, and Mullins slipped away—out of sight. Such was this man’s character.

Before I go any further with this story, I readily admit that I do not have the facts surrounding the writing of


Mullins’ song. Rich went home to be with the Lord in September of 1997, before I could get his story. He died in a tragic automobile accident. But my brief story of Mullins’ life is the story behind his song.

Rich was born Richard Wayne Mullins in 1995, in a small community near Richmond, Indiana, into a Quaker home. The people in his community called him Wayne as he grew up, for fear of confusing him with his uncle Richard, who loaned him the money to make his first album. His parents, John and Neva, recognized that he showed a tremendous musical ability early in life.

Rich’s mother said that one day when Rich was about five years of age, he was in the room listening to his older sister, Debbie, practice her piano lesson. She became very frustrated after trying several times to play a song without making mistakes. In desperation, she left the room. Rich climbed onto the piano bench and played the song perfectly. Mrs. Mullins, from another room, complimented Debbie on finally getting it right.

As a youngster attending the Quaker meetings, Rich’s opinion of some of the music of the church was less than complimentary. He thought the poetry and the musical settings were poor. It was not until he saw the effects the music had on people he respected that he changed his mind.

He attended Cincinnati Bible College, and, while there, formed a band called Zion, which played local engagements. Of course, he later became a major recording artist and formed a band to tour with him, which he called the Ragamuffin Band.

Rich loved poor children and spent the earnings from his music for causes that benefitted them. He lived the last two years of his life on the Navajo Indian Reservation near the Arizona-New Mexico border, working among impoverished Native Americans. He believed that music was the language of the soul, and wanted to give this gift to the children.

I also learned from Rich’s uncle that during the last years of his life, although Rich could’ve lived sumptuously, he only allowed himself a yearly wage of $27,000, the average wage for a man in the U.S. Mullins was never married, so his mother is making sure that the money he left behind goes to the causes he loved so dearly—which includes helping children.

“Awesome God” was voted one of the top three songs of the 1990s by the Christian Research Report.

May you and I recognize that in everything, our Heavenly Father is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. His majesty, power, and might are far beyond our ability to comprehend. Yet this great and awesome God invites you and me to fellowship with Him, offering us eternal life through His Son.

© 2008 by Lindsay Terry. Used by permission.

Lindsay Terry has been a song historian for more than 40 years, and has written widely on the background of great

hymns and worship songs including the books I Could Sing of Your Love Forever (2008), from which this piece is

excerpted, and The Sacrifice of Praise (2002).__________________________________________________________________________________________Church Builders—by Bernard R. DeRemer

Scholar and Theologian: J. Sidlow Baxter

J. Sidlow Baxter (1903-1999) was born in Australia but grew up in England. He barely survived numerous childhood illnesses, climaxing in pneumonia. Doctors even despaired of his life in those years before modern drugs and vaccinations have made such diseases comparatively rare. At the height of his illness, however, his godly mother fervently prayed, and Baxter miraculously recovered in short order.

His mother, a police court missionary, distributed tracts while witnessing faithfully and fervently through slum areas. When Baxter was 16, she handed him a Bible inscribed, “Whatever He saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5).

In spite of these spiritual roots, Baxter spent years pursuing the godless pleasures of the world. Reading a sermon by Charles H. Spurgeon, however, brought such conviction that he immediately gave his life to Christ.

A lifelong musician, Baxter also enjoyed reading and writing poetry. Music, his first love, would prove to be a springboard into ministry for him and played a large role throughout his life. He became a pianist for the National

Young Life Campaign (a non-denominational outreach organization) in England and traveled around the country playing for conferences and events.

Then, at the tender age of 19, he sensed the Lord calling him to “preach the glad tidings of salvation to a hungry world.” He attended Spurgeon’s College in London, where he was a diligent and dedicated student, always near “the top of his batch.” He loved to read about the giants of the faith from the past, especially John and Charles Wesley. He was also good with languages, especially Greek, and enjoyed studying Church history.

After this time, Baxter married Ethel Smith, and they welcomed a daughter, Miriam, into the world. He went on to pastorates in the British Isles, including Edinburgh’s Charlotte Chapel, the largest Baptist Church in Scotland, for nearly 20 years. Later, he traveled widely in the U.S., Canada, Africa, and Australia, visiting many mission fields. He spent much of his later ministry as a speaker, author, and evangelist rather than in pastoral work.


At age 63, Baxter developed acute diabetes and a crisis occurred. He was rushed to the hospital and it seemed that any further travel to preach the Word was “a forlorn hope.” During this time he had a remarkable vision of a large-print Bible open to Psalm 103:3, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities….” He later testified, “I knew as definitely as if a voice had shouted from heaven, ‘Sid! God is going to heal you.’”

He found that he had been laid low by the Lord in order to be humbled, “to teach me more complete dependence upon Himself, more prayerful yieldedness to Him so that He might lift me up to reconditioned service.” Soon the signs of healing appeared and he was able to resume his ministry.

In the following years, he “travelled, preached, lectured and wrote books, put more time in than ever, and had more tokens of blessing than ever before.” He learned what it was to “mount up with wings as eagles,” and enjoyed better health even than before his illness.

Of Baxter’s 26 published books, he is especially remembered for his epic Explore the Book, commended by Adrian Rogers as a “comprehensive overview of the Bible…without parallel…studied in Bible schools and seminaries around the world.” Other noteworthy titles include Our High Calling (1967), Does God Still Guide? (1971), and Christian Holiness: Restudied and Restated (1977).

To be around Baxter was “to be enriched,” Rogers declared. This giant went to be with the Lord at the end of 1999, his life almost completely spanning the 20th century.

Bernard R. DeRemer chronicled the lives of dozens of heroes of the faith in more than a decade of writing for

Pulpit Helps Magazine. He continues to serve in this capacity as a volunteer contributor to Disciple. He lives in

West Liberty, Ohio.

Reference: This article based on information from the Moody Bible Institute Library.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Counselor’s Corner—by James Rudy Gray

The Pilgrimage of Grief

Editor’s note: Rudy was unable to provide a column this month, so we are reusing his column from the July 2000 issue of Pulpit Helps. Thank you.

Grief is a universal experience that transcends every type of human barrier. The pain of loss is common to the human family, for any important loss triggers grief. We will grieve; the real issue is how we choose to grieve.

While the stages of grief may differ from person to person, a healthy grieving process will move through different phases. At the core of this process are our emotions, the changes we experience, bodily distress, and—if the death of a loved one is involved—a preoccupation with the image of the deceased.

After the initial loss, feelings of grief may strike someone unexpectedly. The pain or sadness that suddenly touches a person weeks or months later seems like a surprise that comes out of nowhere. That is the nature of grief.

Norm Wright has an excellent book, Recovering from the Losses of Life, that can be very helpful for church groups. We have grief support/recovery groups at our church that has used this material effectively.

The pilgrimage of grief is an emotional journey that takes time to make. It involves pain but also growth. Grieving people need to feel safe. They need the acceptance, patience, understanding, and sensitivity of friends and supporters. They need encouragement to identify, face, and work through their feelings. Moving on

is important but that does not mean that the feelings of grief are ever completely gone. Healthy grief means that a person is making new relationships, engaging in different activities and developing inner resourcefulness as a person.

Above all, grieving in a healthy way means recognizing that God is real. Grief is a reality but so is the comfort and hope God sends to His believing child. The Bible is very clear that death is not the final chapter. Neither is grief. How we grieve is the key. First Thessalonians 4:13-14 says, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” A major force in moving on in the God-given experience of grief is to plant our faith firmly in the truth of God about death and loss. God loves His people. He will never desert them, especially in the time of sorrow and grief.

Perhaps the best counsel for healthy grief therapy is given by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” The reality of grief can be a growing time when we are aware of the truth and presence of the living Christ.

James Rudy Gray is certified as a professional counselor by the National Board for Certified Counselors, and is a

member of the American Association of Christian


Counselors. He serves as the pastor of Utica Baptist Church in Seneca, S.C.

__________________________________________________________________________________________Book Review—7/26/10

In God We Trust: Why Biblical Authority Matters for Every Believer, Steve Ham, 2010 Master Books (New Leaf Publishing) Green Forest, Ark., ISBN 9780890515839, 239 pages, $12.99, softcover.

Answers in Genesis, as an organization, has contributed greatly to the Christian intellect by equipping believers to understand why they believe what they believe (and why it matters). Though they are most renowned for their work in promoting young-earth creationism, their focus is really one of biblical authority—whether or not we can trust the Bible to be accurate and to guide our understanding of the world.

That question of authority is the subject of In God We Trust. Through the book, Steve Ham (brother of AiG founder and president Ken Ham) shows that we all depend on some sort of authority for our worldviews to avoid the “loose hinges” of blind faith and that biblical authority is a worthy bedrock that makes our faith both reasonable and authentic.

The book is broken down into three sections. In the first, “The Substance of Authority”, Ham illustrates the need for authority (and the consequences of its absence),

examines the shaky substitutes for biblical authority that mankind relies on, and shows that any true authority must have its origin with the Creator. The second section, “The Authority of God”, expands on God’s character expressed through each person of the Trinity. The final section, “Authority and Christian Practice”, looks at the implications of biblical authority in the daily life of a believer, in worship, in the family, in the Church, and in the mission of the Gospel.

Ham is not covering any new ground here—all of his points have been addressed before by other gifted authors. Still, In God We Trust proves to be a better-than-average book on apologetics, making a robust case for Christianity and the power of Scripture. Its focus is not so much on defending the faith to skeptical outsiders (though it is useful for that) as on shoring up the often wobbly beliefs of today’s Christians with the firm pillars of the Word.

Justin Lonas

Target: AllType: ApologeticsTake: Recommended

__________________________________________________________________________________________News Update

U.S. Teens Hesitant to Evangelize, Study FindsMission News Network reports that Christian teens

in the U.S. are less enthusiastic about sharing their faith than they were in 1998.

According to a new study from the Barna Group, less than half of teenagers (45 percent) say they’ve explained their beliefs to someone with different faith views in the last year. In 1997, that number was almost two-third of teenagers (63 percent).

“I think many teens as well as young college students have really bought into the cultural view of tolerance,” said Terry Erickson, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship National Director of Evangelism. “You don’t want to offend anyone, so there’s a reluctance to share your faith. So we see lots of students that have to get over that hurdle in college if they want to do evangelism.”

Religion Today Summaries

Report: Christians Unfairly Targeted by U.K. Hate Laws

A new report has found that Christians in Britain are disproportionately targeted by laws intended to prevent

religious hate crimes. The Civitas report, “A New Inquisition: Religious Persecution in Britain Today,” criticizes the “oppressive oddity” of judicial attempts to regulate religious hatred, Christian Today reports.

The report’s author, Jon Davies, says the vague nature of the laws has led judges to become “surrogate theologians,” essentially establishing a “theocracy by the backdoor.” he asks, “Is the Crown Prosecution Service so prudent in its understanding of ‘religious hatred’ that it should be free, with no penalty for error, to mobilize the power and resources of the state against ordinary citizens who make comments about religion?”


Adoption Increases 26 Percent for 2010, Bethany Says

Christian Newswire reports that attention to January’s earthquake in Haiti seems to have triggered a rise in U.S. adoptions.

Bethany Christian Services, the nation’s largest adoption agency, says overall international and domestic adoption placements have risen 26 percent over the same


time period in 2009. The organization says inter-country adoption placements are up 66 percent and inter-country adoption inquiries ahead by more than 5,000 requests during the same six month time period of 2009, totaling an unprecedented 10,567 inquiries.

Bethany ascribes these increases in part to the Haiti crisis and the need to find safe homes for children who lost one or both parents during the earthquake. “The figures Bethany released show strong improvement as we confront the global orphan crisis, but the need still remains as there are still an incredible number of orphaned children who wait for their ‘forever family’,” said Bill Blacquiere, president and CEO at Bethany Christian Services.


Pastors: Oil Spill Opens Doors for Ministry Baptist Press reports that pastors in all five states

that border the Gulf of Mexico are feeling the heat. “I’m sensing a lot of anger,” said Eddie Painter, a

commercial fisherman and pastor of Barataria Baptist Church in the Lafitte, La., area, about 30 miles southeast of New Orleans. “I just talked early this morning with one of our local business owners, a charter boat captain who’d had a thriving business for 12 years,” Painter said. “People like this boat captain are beginning to realize they may be out of business, even when this is over.”

Painter said he saw an oil sheen in the bayou for the first time on Wednesday. Barataria Baptist Church is able to provide meals for those in the community without sustenance, because BP gives them meals unused by work crews, which the church distributes. “This is giving us an opportunity to minister with the resources BP has given us,” the pastor said.


Small Groups, Inspiring Pastors Impact Church Vitality

A new study shows churches with connected congregations are more likely have “high vitality,” according to the Christian Post. Churches that have a high number of small groups, effective lay leadership and both contemporary and traditional services are generally healthy and lively.

These churches are also likely to include topical, inspirational preaching. “We’ve taken a data-driven approach to identify what works for thriving congregations

large and small, both rural and urban, all over the U.S.,” said Bishop Gregory V. Palmer, chair of the denomination’s Call to Action committee. “While there’s no silver bullet, we believe these findings can lead to vitality for many more congregations.”

Overall, 60 percent of churches with over five small groups have high vitality compared to only 19 percent of churches with three or fewer groups.


American Christian Volunteer Killed in Uganda Bombing

Worthy News reports that an American aid worker with Invisible Children was killed in a bomb attack in Uganda on July 11. Police believe the Islamist group al-Shabaab is responsible for the attacks.

Nate “Oteka” Henn was killed and several other American Christians were injured after a bomb detonated where they were watching the World Cup in Kampala. Henn worked with Invisible Children, a San Diego-based group that helps street children and child soldiers.

“Nate worked with us at Invisible Children for a year and a half and leaves behind a legacy of honor, integrity, and service,” the group said in a statement. He worked with several former child soldiers-turned-students who gave him the Acholi name Oteka, which means “The Strong One.”


Chavez, Venezuelan Church Clash over FreedomsThe Associated Press reports that Venezuelan

president Hugo Chavez is increasingly encroaching on religious freedom in the country. The vast majority of Venezuelans are Roman Catholic.

In the last week, Chavez has accused church leaders of lying, while Cardinal Jorge Urosa says he was right to remain in Rome and warn the Vatican of Chavez’s power grabs. “I don’t like the insults that Chavez hurled against the cardinal, but I don’t like seeing the Church getting involved in politics either,” said Amanda Ortiz, 47, after attending Sunday Mass at a church in downtown Caracas. “Both sides are losing respect for each other.”

Urosa has accused Chavez of moving the country towards a dictatorship, while Chavez has appealed to the Vatican to effectively fire Urosa.


__________________________________________________________________________________________Sermon Helps—from www.sermonhall.com


Sermon OutlinesThe Glory That Follows the CrossMatthew 25:30-32

I. For Judas It Was Night (30)II. For the Son of Man It Was His Greatest Hour (31, 32; 2 Cor. 5:18–21)

A. He who knew no sin was about to be made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

B. He is now ready to reconcile all people unto God, not imputing their trespasses unto them.

C. On the basis of His sacrificial death, which Judas was going out to arrange, the Church has received the ministry of reconciliation.

D. Will you go out like Judas into the blackness of darkness forever? Will you go out into that eternal night? III. For God Himself It Meant Glory (31).

A. “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Ps. 85:10).

B. God’s mercy finds expression. C. God’s truth is exonerated. D. God’s righteousness is satisfied. E. God’s peace is offered to estranged sinners. F. God has set Him forth as a propitiation

(satisfaction), “that He might be just and the Justifier of him who believes in Jesus” (Rom. 3:25, 26). IV. For our Lord Jesus Christ It Meant Glory with God the Father (32)

Glenn Archer

Faith that PossessesNumbers 13:30 I. Personal Faith: “Let us go up at once”

A. Immediate response.B. Immediate reaction.C. Immediate repossession.

II. Possessing Faith: “and possess it”A. Accept God’s promises.B. Accept God’s provisions.C. Accept God’s purpose.

III. Powerful Faith: “For we are able to overcome it”A. Faith that acknowledges.B. Faith that accepts.C. Faith that attacks.

Croft M. Pentz

Sermon IllustrationsThe Christian’s Riches

John Bunyan wrote: “The happy man was born in the city of Regeneration, in the parish of Repentance unto Life. He was educated in the School of Obedience; he works at the trade of Diligence and does many jobs of self-denial. He owns a large estate in the country of Christian Contentment and wears the plain garments of humility. He breakfasts every morning on spiritual prayer and sups every evening on the same. He also has “meat to eat that the world knows not of.” He has gospel submission in his conduct, due order in his affection, sound peace in his conscience, sanctifying love in his soul, real divinity in his breast, true humility in his heart, the Redeemer’s yoke on his neck, the world under his feet, and a crown of glory over his head. In order to obtain this, he prays fervently, works abundantly, redeems his time, guards his sense, loves Christ, and longs for glory.”

Not Deep—But Muddy

“Isn’t Rev. So-and-so a deep preacher?” asked a friend. “Well,” replied the other smiling. “I'll tell you a story. When I was a boy I was amusing myself with some other boys in a pool. Some of them were going farther out than I was disposed to go, and I was frightened. To a man who was passing by I called out, ‘Is the pool deep?’ ‘No, son,’ he replied, ‘it's only muddy.’”

Anonymous

Bulletin InsertsOn Childhood/ChildrenChildren who always get what they want will want as long as they get.

The nice thing about raising children is that anything you encounter later in life will seem like a snap.

An adolescent is a minor with a major problem.

Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is better.

These four via the Old Union Reminder

Childhood is like the old joke about a small town—one blink and it’s gone!

Anonymous

__________________________________________________________________________________________Puzzles and ‘Toons


Church ‘Toons by Joe McKeever

Answers to last issue’s puzzles:

Father Abraham and Hidden WisdomBy Mark Oshman

Originally published in Pulpit Helps, January 1996Hidden Wisdom on next page

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